By Michael A. Monahan, Founder, President & Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
In the ever-evolving world of construction marketing, staying ahead of the competition is crucial for success. The construction industry is no stranger to fierce competition, with countless firms vying for the same projects. To thrive in this highly competitive landscape, construction companies must not only excel in their craft but also master the art of marketing.
Effective marketing can be a game-changer for construction firms, enabling them to secure more contracts, expand their reach, and establish a strong brand presence. In this blog, we’ll explore the key strategies that can help your construction marketing firm unlock success and achieve long-term growth.
Step 1: Audit Keywords: Begin by identifying the keywords you’re targeting. Take stock of what you currently rank for and identify any missed opportunities. Create a list of services, products, or pages you want to drive traffic to, and use tools like Keyword Finder to compile a list of high-volume local target keywords.
Step 2: Audit Your Competition’s Local SEO: Analyze your competitors’ local SEO strategies to understand what you’re up against. Look at factors like Google My Business (GMB) rankings, organic rankings, review quantity and quality, the number of links, site speed, and social stats to develop hypotheses on their success in local SERPs.
Step 3: Audit Google My Business Listing: Your GMB listing is crucial for local SEO success. Ensure it is claimed, verified, and well-optimized with your target keywords. Check for completeness, multiple reviews, high ratings, appropriate business categories, images, GMB posts, and participation in the Questions & Answers section.
Step 4: Audit Reviews for Quality and Quantity: Reviews play a significant role in local rankings and reputation building. Positive and detailed reviews across various platforms can boost your business. Google even considers keywords used in reviews. Manage and gather reviews using tools like Customer Voice or KiyOh.
Step 5: Audit Links for Quality and Quantity: Links are still a primary ranking factor. Secure quality links with local content, high domain authority, and relevance. Quality and quantity matter, and spammy, off-topic links can harm your rankings. Use Ahrefs or Open Site Explorer to evaluate your links.
Step 6: Audit Schema-Markup for Local: Schema markup helps search engines understand your data better. Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure your site includes schema markup. Plugins like “All In One Schema Rich Snippets” (for WordPress) can simplify this process.
Step 7: Audit Local SEO Citations: Check how often your business is mentioned online, including structured and unstructured citations. Audit your listings on social platforms, directories, and main data aggregators like Axiom, Neustar/Localeze, Factual, and Infogroup. Use tools like Whitespark’s Local Citation Finder and Moz Check Listings.
Step 8: Audit SEO on Main Pages: Audit your main website pages, examining page titles, title tags, sub-headings, word count, and meta descriptions. Evaluate how well your pages are optimized for local SEO with the help of tools like Screaming Frog.
Step 9: Audit Image SEO: Optimize image filenames and alt text with relevant keywords to help search engines understand image content. Ensure images are optimized for page load speed. Use Screaming Frog to evaluate image SEO.
Step 10: Check Website Speed: Page load speed is crucial for user experience and ranking. Use Google PageSpeed Insights Tool, Pingdom’s Website Speed Test, or GTMetrix to assess and improve your website’s speed.
Step 11: Audit Site Engagement: Engagement metrics like CTR, dwell time, bounce rate, and conversion rate impact rankings. Use Google Analytics to examine your engagement metrics and compare them to industry benchmarks.
Step 12: Audit Social Engagement: A strong social media presence can enhance your local SEO efforts. Evaluate your social platforms by tracking likes, shares, followers, and mentions of your brand.
Performing a comprehensive local SEO audit by following these 12 steps will help your business improve its online visibility, ranking, and overall performance in the competitive local market. Stay on top of these crucial aspects, adapt your strategies as needed, and watch your local SEO efforts pay off.
If you’d like to have the marketing technicians at BUILT Strategies take a look at your local SEO, contact us for a initial consultation.
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